74C For My Collection

[tnorris]

Part One: I just picked this one up from my FFL...

Paid too much on Gun Broker ($1300 with fees and shipping), but I think I like it. Since this is the Collectors Forum, it goes here first.

(At first glance) It seems cleaner than the on-line auction photos indicated. The seller said it came from a large estate sale with over 20 High Powers in the collection.  The only annoying scratch is from where the slide stop rides along the slide. The magazine disconnect is intact with very little wear on the foot or on the body of the single 13 round magazine.

Date Codes: 

 - On the bottom of the slide; a 4 in a partial diamond with the diamond sides on the upper and lower right of the 4. Since this does not correspond to the date code chart, it is my guess the diamond was a poor strike and is likely a complete diamond indicating the first quarter of 1974. Photo attached.

 - On the left side of he barrel foot there may be a 4 with one diamond side at the upper left, possibly indicating forth quarter 1974.

 - An additional first quarter 1974 date code is found under the red backed grips on the right side of the frame near the rear of the mag well.

A *M, indicating Scorpion Maurice as Controller of Proof, appears on the right side of the barrel foot.

Cheers,

Tim

[tnorris]

Part Two: Digging a little deeper.

Examining the grips I could see the faintest bit of rust in the thread on the right side. After removal, I found surface rust and a bit more on the frame below where the grips sit. Most of it came off with a bit of CLP. The Mainspring and Sear Spring area may also be affected by surface rust. These are all things I would have noticed during an in person inspection.

With the magazine disconnect intact, this pistol has an average Trigger Pull of 6#12oz, with a high of 7#10oz and a low of 5#4oz. It likely has a 49 year old Sear Spring, and perhaps it was heavier when new.

I guess what this means for me... she will not be an All Original Safe Queen and may be the recipient of the things I usually do; SFS, BHSS Trigger, etc. This would turn her into a pretty nice old range gal!

All in all... I am not unhappy.

Paying $650 would have been better!

Cheers,

Tim

Left Side

Right Side

Right Side after CLP with Grips

[cmdrcody]

Tim, I agree it looks like it’s a 1st quarter strike on the slide since 2nd through 4th would have no lower right side of the diamond.
You got a nice gun there.
Does it have a “hog nose” bushing?
Can’t tell from the photos.

[ToddSig]

Nice pick up Tim. It does look to be in really good condition, and all of the minor issue you state can easily be cleaned or replaced. When I purchase vintage HPs rather than spray and wipe down, I typically soak them from about 5/6 hours to over night in CLP depending on condition. It loosens everything, gets into the hard to reach areas, helps with minor surface rust and I also feel the good soak helps in revitalizing the bluing (at least to a slight effect, but to my eye it does help, so I always do it). I just purchased a decent FN marked 1972 T, I bought it to uses as a project HP, as the front sight was replaced and the rear sight had the notch expanded. It had not been cleaned in some time. Got a decent deal on it. After cleaning and soaking in CLP I decided to keep it as is. I think it was for the commercial market, as it has a nice blue finish and no lanyard ring. I put some red backs on it and I am really happy.

May not be a safe queen, but, it certainly is far higher on the condition spectrum than a shooter or a project gun. If it were me, I would clean, replace any internals and keep as is. It looks like you have the original magazine, and the red back grips are in great shape. Did the Browning rug come with it? I think you got if for a very fair price, and if it is something you really wanted, not really too bad to pay a bit more as you will get a lot of enjoyment out of it. I always kick myself when I did not go a little higher to get an HP I really wanted. But, thoses added fees always kill me, I just chalk them up to part of the collecting process. A few years ago GB to not charge tax, and that was nice.

Congrats on a nice find.

[tnorris]

Oct 28, 2023 7:44:42 GMT -5 ToddSig said:

It looks like you have the original magazine, and the red back grips are in great shape. Did the Browning rug come with it?Oct 28, 2023 7:08:12 GMT -5 cmdrcody said:

Does it have a “hog nose” bushing?
Can’t tell from the photos.

Thanks guys...

A browning rug in darned nice condition did come with it. Even the white tag on the exterior is intact. The rug seems to have not been used. Perhaps the pistol was also not used much.

It appears to have the Hog Nosed Bushing, as compared to my 2002 version. The bushing is a detail I have just never paid attention to!

Cheers,

Tim

[tnorris]

Oct 27, 2023 21:14:08 GMT -5 tnorris said:

Part Two: Digging a little deeper.

With the magazine disconnect intact, this pistol has an average Trigger Pull of 6#12oz, with a high of 7#10oz and a low of 5#4oz. It likely has a 49 year old Sear Spring, and perhaps it was heavier when new.

I removed the Magazine Disconnect Safety... super easy on this one. FN should not have changed the design.

This resulted in a reduction in Trigger Pull of .5-.75#:

6#  4 oz Average

6#11 oz High

5#  1 oz Low

A second test yielded a 6# 0.2oz Avg with a 4# 11oz Low

Cheers,

Tim

[CXM]

Nice catch... They are getting harder and harder to find.

FWIW

Chuck

[emp81]

Very nice

[cpwlew]

Excellent Hi-Power

[wycowboy]

I used to work at a LGS and was able buy through them and at least not have to pay taxes but now have too. So there I am at the end of a GB auction and I’ve got the iPad in my lap and .calculator on my cell phone in my hand trying to figure how much I’m gonna go over my self imposed limit, my wife gets a big kick out me. I let a Browning HP rug get away from me a couple weeks ago for $21 because I waited to long. Tim that’s a really nice Hi Power, thanks for sharing.